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“To really get a feel for a car’s design, I think you need to see it in motion,” said Ian Callum, and he should know — he’s the man behind the design of Jaguar‘s all-new F-Type sports car. And with that, off in the gathering darkness, a car sparked to life, ominous pops and crackles spitting from its dual stainless steel trumpets.

On flip the vertical, J-Blade LED light pipes, and as the car starts to weave down the driveway, a familiar face begins to form: a squished circle flanked by four gills gulping in the chilly night air. Top down, the roadster turns toward the side and a fuselage effect becomes visible, with hidden door handles and “heartlines” further defining the surface. As the car turns back toward the gloom, its aggressive rear haunches and sloping rear deck emerge. The driver mats the pedal and the supercharged six bites and snarls as it roars away. The 2014 Jaguar F-Type has finally come out into the light, and with it, a huge part of the storied British brand’s future.

You’re forgiven if you’re experiencing a bit of deja vu. Other than the obvious differences between coupe and convertible, the F-Type roadster is strikingly similar in form to the C-X16 concept coupe the brand showcased at the 2011 Frankfurt auto show, especially at the front. And yes, the specter of the famed E-Type hovers over it, but its design doesn’t hit you over the head with it. As Callum put it, the F-Type evokes the “classic feel of a sports car done in a modern way.”

There are E-Type cues to be sure, but they’re subtle: a bit of the grille, the way body line slopes down and away at the rear, and the exhaust tips on the supercharged V-6 models. But this car is unquestionably its own thing, a thoroughly modern, 21st-century take on where Jaguar is headed. “We’re not worshipping the ashes of the past,” said Jaguar’s global brand director Adrian Hallmark. “We’re reigniting the sports car flame.”

The F-Type is a car Jaguar had to do, a car that its execs believe is essential to the brand’s core DNA. You could literally see the excitement oozing from Jaguar Land Rover CEO Ralf Speth, who lit up like a German Christmas tree when discussing the merits of the 495 horsepower F-Type V8 S. (“This is the one to get!”) It’s about image first, sales second, according to Hallmark. It’s about innovative, seductive performance.

Image is big, to be sure, but street cred also is vitally important, and Jaguar officials have been throwing around the P-word, as in Porsche 911. The F-Type’s 176-inch overall length is within an inch of the new 991 911 S Cabriolet, but its 103.2 wheelbase is almost seven inches longer. It also sports a near 50:50 weight balance as opposed to the S Cabriolet we just tested with its 38:62 rear-engine heavy design. Jaguar is making a bold play to win the hearts and minds of enthusiasts, all while making the car accessible to those who simply love driving a classy roadster. “It’s both graceful and potent at your behest,” Hallmark remarked. We’ll have to take his word for it for now.

To help it achieve its lofty pronouncements, the F-Type deploys two of Jaguar’s core technologies — aluminum construction and supercharging — to great effect. On the aluminum front, Jag utilized the latest in lightweight alloys to develop its overall architecture. Its clamshell hood is a one-piece stamping. New forming techniques allowed the designers to utilize the type of character lines they envisioned back in the drawing phase. And the all-aluminum double wishbone front and rear suspensions helped engineers to achieve the car’s balance. In its lightest from, the F-Type is roughly 3550 pounds, not quite as light as the new 911 S Cab we tested at 3482 pounds, but close.

Jaguar says it prefers supercharging to turbocharging because supercharging allows peak power to come on earlier, and to that end, the F-Type will offer three blown engines. There are two takes on its new 3.0-liter V-6 with two horsepower ratings — the base model with 340 horsepower and an estimated 0-to-60 mph time of 5.1 seconds or the F-Type S with 380 horsepower and estimated 4.8 seconds to 60 mph — and the previously mentioned version of the brand’s well-worn 5.0-liter V-8 with 495 horsepower on tap and an estimated 0-to-60 time of 4.2 seconds powering the F-Type V8 S, distinguished by a unique rear valance with dual tailpipes at each corner. For reference, the 911 S Cabriolet we just tested clocked in at 3.8 seconds to 60. All engines will be mated to a version of ZF’s eight-speed automatic Jaguar has cleverly dubbed QuickShift. Enthusiasts commence harrumphing now about the lack of availability of a manual or dual-clutch transmission option. Jaguar swears up, down, and around that the eight-speed will offer, er, quick shifts and keep them at redline if desired when Dynamic mode is engaged and you’re banging on the paddles.

Power is one thing, but Jaguar knows full well this car had better be sorted dynamically. To that end, its ace vehicle tester Mike Cross has been driving the wheels off F-Type prototypes in order to dial in the car. You may have seen him at Goodwood earlier this year getting rowdy in a camo-ed version. Among the goodies Jaguar has applied are a mechanical limited-slip differential for the F-Type S, with a more advanced electronically controlled version for the F-Type V8 S. Both higher spec models are also fitted with the Jaguar Adaptive Dynamics suspension damping system, which has been developed to optimize the car’s vertical body movement, roll, and pitch rates, and its deployable rear spoiler rises at speeds above 60 mph to provide high speed stability. (The V8 S can reportedly touch 186 mph.) Other goodies include a launch control mode and some seriously big brakes. The 15.0-inch front, 14.8-inch rear units for the V8 S model are the biggest ever fitted to a Jaguar production car.

Inside, the two-seater is all about the cockpit. Step in, and the first thing you’ll notice is the sloping grab handle separating the driver from passenger along the center console. The entire experience is wrapped around the driver and the seats are snug, bolstered, and plenty adjustable. Jaguar made a conscious effort to keep the controls simple and easy to access in order to put the focus where it needs to be: on the road. Materials look and feel top-notch, including satin chrome and aluminum finishes. One of the signature features of the interior is the center air vent panel, which rises out of the top of the dash when necessary. When you want the experience to be open air, the Thinsulate-lined softtop folds in a scant 12 seconds and can come down at speeds of up to 30 mph.

Other interesting touches and available options include a flat-bottom steering wheel that comes with the Performance Pack, a tach that’s highlighted more than other gauges, a trick lap timer and G-meter function, and two sound systems from Meridian.

After the F-Type’s debut at the 2012 Paris auto show, it will roll out across Europe and then come here early next summer, in time for the prime convertible season — and hopefully our 2013 Best Driver’s Car competition. Down the line, expect to see a coupe and higher performance variants. Prices have yet to be announced, but the base car should come in around $69,000 and move up from there.

“It’s got to be the best. It’s got to be definitive,” Hallmark said of the F-Type during his presentation. We couldn’t agree more. We’ll find out how definitive the F-Type is soon enough.

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